Vietnam and the U.S on October 18th worked together to inaugurate the second phase of the project on treating the final amount of dioxin at the Da Nang Airport.

Environmental treatment of dioxin polluted area at Da Nang Airport (second phase) (Photo: VNA)

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Senior Lieutenant-General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Party Central Committee member, Deputy Minister of National Defence and Head of the Board on mitigation of dioxin consequences, confirmed the tireless efforts of Vietnamese and American officials in promoting the progress of the project, promptly completely treating the hot spot in Da Nang city in accordance with the cooperation commitment between the American and Vietnamese Governments; and contributing to cleaning up the land environment, ensuring a safe and healthy environment for human activities.

Authorized agencies of the Ministry of National Defence have worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to complete the environmental assessment project at the Bien Hoa Airport. The results are being used by the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to submit to the Vietnamese Government for consideration of establishing and realizing the project on treating environmental pollution at the Bien Hoa Airport.

Senior Lieutenant-General Nguyen Chi Vinh and U.S Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius started the heat treatment system of the project.

Under the second phase of the project, some 45,000 cubic metres of land and mud polluted with dioxin will be treated, bringing great benefit for residents in Da Nang city. It will also help promote Vietnam – U.S relations.

The project on treating the environment polluted with dioxin at Da Nang Airport, carried out by USAID and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence, targets to treat an estimated 90,000 cubic metres of land and mud.

In May, the two Governments announced they had successfully treated some 45,000 cubic metres of land and mud polluted with dioxin after the first heat treatment. The treated area has been used to expand the Da Nang Airport.

The second phase is expected to be completed by mid-2017 and the site will be returned in 2018.

For the long-term, the project will help eliminate health risks relating to dioxin exposure from the area./.

( Compiled by VNF )